Tyler Perry's Viral Oscars Speech: 'I Refuse to Hate Someone Because They Are a Cop'
Hollywood producers strikes a different tone to other leftist celebrities
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Producer Tyler Perry took a different route to his fellow Hollywood celebrities during his Oscars acceptance speech by denouncing politically motivated hate campaigns.
While accepting his award on Sunday night, Perry gave a speech that quickly went viral after he emphasized that police are not the enemy.
Unlike other celebrities, who used their moment in the spotlight to push leftist talking points and attack people and things they disagree with politically, Perry denounced all forms of hate.
Accepting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, the Madea actor and creator told viewers, “In this time, with all of the internet and social media and algorithms and everything that wants us to think a certain way, the 24-hour news cycle … it is my hope that all of us would teach our kids, and I want to remember: Just refuse hate.
"Don’t hate anybody,” Perry added.
"I refuse to hate someone because they are Mexican or because they are black or white or LBGTQ.”
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“I refuse to hate someone because they are a police officer," Perry declared in defiance of other celebrities who were pushing anti-cop rhetoric at the Oscars.
"I refuse to hate someone because they are Asian.”
During his acceptance speech, Perry recalled a story of a homeless woman he once helped who asked him for shoes.
After he took her into his studio and gave her shoes, the woman said, “Thank you, Jesus, my feet are off the ground.”
WATCH:
"Refuse hate."
— ABC News (@ABC) April 26, 2021
Tyler Perry accepts Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award "I refuse to hate someone because they are Mexican or because they are Black or white or LBGTQ. I refuse to hate someone because they are a police officer. I refuse to hate someone because they are Asian." pic.twitter.com/FjpTaYhKUu
Perry, who is liberal in his politics, turned heads in July when he rejected calls to “Defund the Police” by Black Lives Matter activists.
“So, when they saw George Floyd’s death, this horrific, horrible death played out, as this man pleaded for his life and begged, said ‘please’ many, many times, it — seeing it changes everything,” Perry said.
"So I became very, very optimistic when everybody galvanized together because I know that’s when change comes.
"When people galvanize and come together as one, that’s when change happens.”
“But lately, I’ve been very, very concerned that the message is being hijacked by some other groups or political ads and parties that are trying to stop the message of what we’re asking for here [is] police reform, right?” the actor continued.
“So, yeah, I was, but I’m worried now because of what I’m seeing.”
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Elsewhere during the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday, actor Travon Free used his speech to bash America's police officers.
"Today, the police will kill 3 people," Free told the audience.
"And tomorrow, the police will kill 3 people.
"And the day after that, the police will kill 3 people.
"Because, on average, the police in America, every day kill 3 people which amounts to about 1000 people a year.
"And those people happen to be disproportionately black people," he falsely claimed.
